ECU has won five straight against Tulane, including last year’s 28-23 victory at the Superdome

There’s a fine line that separates the good seasons from those that are truly special. And surprisingly, it’s not the biggest wins that define the distinction.

Rather, it’s those otherwise nondescript games in between – the matchups a team is supposed to win – that usually spells the difference between an enjoyable campaign and one fans will still be talking about years after the fact.

As the folks at N.C. State will tell you, even the most emotional victories against highly ranked rivals can quickly lose their luster when they’re followed up by a loss to a lesser opponent.

That’s a fate East Carolina will be working to avoid Saturday when it travels to New Orleans to take on Tulane.

Historically, playing the Green Wave – even at the Superdome – has been the Big Easy for the Pirates and pretty much everyone else, for that matter.

The general perception of Tulane football can best be summed up by a long-ago quote from former North Carolina and Wake Forest coach Bill Dooley, the all-time master at talking up the opposition.

“Too-lane,” he once said in his inimitable style, “is the finest winless team in America.”

While that description might have fit the Green Wave as some point in most seasons, save for a few in which Tommy Bowden was its coach, it’s not the case this year.

At 4-2 overall (2-0) in Conference USA, Tulane has a legitimate shot at its first winning season since 2002. Its quarterback is the son of Hall of Famer Joe Montana and its defense leads the nation with 18 takeaways.

Tulane quarterback Nick Montana

Though the Pirates are still clearly the better team, they could easily see their promising 4-1 start go unexpectedly up in smoke if they allow their minds convince their eyes that this is the same Green Wave they’ve beaten the last five times and nine of the last 10 they’ve played.

And that’s only one of the potential pitfalls awaiting coach Ruffin McNeill and his team.

Unlike last two weeks at North Carolina and Middle Tennessee, where it was able to feed off the emotion provided by a loud – though hostile – crowd, ECU will have to provide its own energy in the cavernous, nearly empty Superdome.

The key for the Pirates will be their ability to keep their eyes on the prize. Not the one at the end of the season in the form of championship rings and bowl trips and the very realistic goal of a 12-1 record if all goes according to plan, but the lesser, more immediate reward awaiting at the end of the day.

“We’ve talked about being road warriors and the guys have handled it well,” McNeill said earlier this week. “We must do it again one more week before returning (home). The biggest thing we’ve got to continue to do is execution.

“One of the things we keep harping on is making routine plays. Sometimes the kids get a little overanxious trying to make big plays. Just make routine plays and they’ll turn into big plays.”

Keeping things simple may be even more important than usual with the potential of having two fewer playmakers in the lineup.

Cooper

Suspended inside receiver Danny Webster definitely won’t be playing because an undisclosed violation of team rules. Leading rusher Vintavious Cooper, who also plays a prominent role in the passing game, is also listed as questionable because of concussion-like symptoms.

Their absence should be only a minor setback, given the abundance of firepower the Pirates have on offense. But it could quickly turn into some major adversity if they strut into New Orleans and take Tulane lightly.

The same goes for any of their next four opponents afterward.

Because while the final two regular season showdowns at N.C. State and Marshall are setting up to be the most pivotal on ECU’s schedule, they won’t mean nearly as much if the Pirates don’t take care of business in these other games leading up to them.

Been a Pirate many many years & I have seen this situation before. Ranked 14th in the nation after wins against Ranked teams in VT & WVU going to Tulane. Lost our best player there, even though we beat them. Lost to teams we should had beat after that & ended not ranked. But one thing I’m proud of Ruff is he has built depth that I have never seen before. We have lost starters that I said OH CRAP and yet didn’t miss a beat.

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